Local

Storms produced high winds and a lightning show that filled the skies for hours Wednesday evening. The winds were so strong that some people asked if it was a tornado that downed trees, ripped billboards and bent metal poles like they were toothpicks.

More than 2,000 people in Lancaster County lost power during the storm. Phone service was also affected for some Comporium customers.

For the full story and photos, see Friday's edition of The Lancaster News.

Two little girls from Lancaster have won big at state beauty pageants, and more importantly, have become friends on the road to state titles.

Hailey Sanders, 6, is competing this weekend for the title of Wee Miss at the Little Miss Teen Miss South Carolina pageant in Hartsville on Saturday. Hailey is the daughter of Nikki and Jeff Sanders of Lancaster.

Hailey, a North Elementary School student, is going for her third state title. In 2004, she won Wee Miss Tiny Tot South Carolina and Little Miss Tiny Tot South Carolina in 2006.

A County Council committee charged with finding a solution to the noise at concrete plants in an Indian Land business park will meet with concrete company officials next week.

For more than a year, residents of Brookchase and Lakeview Landing have been pleading with council to do something about the noise at concrete plants in 521 Perimeter Commerce Park. The park is adjacent to some homes in Brookchase and Lakeview Landing.

There are four concrete companies in 521 Perimeter park, but residents have complained the most about Blue Dot.

Republican Deborah Long will face Democrat Fred Thomas in the race for the S.C. House District 45 seat in November.

The two bested their opponents in their respective primary on Tuesday night.

The district covers mostly Lancaster County and parts of York County.

Long, who's seeking political office for the first time, received 69 percent of the Lancaster County votes and Bruce Miller had nearly 31 percent –1087 to 482, according to unofficial totals. She won each of the 13 Lancaster County precincts except Belair.

That's to replace windows at the historic Lancaster County Courthouse. Due to the courthouse's National Historic Landmark status, the windows must be replaced in a specific way – to the tune of $111,000.

Many of the windows are rotting, and courthouse officials say they leak when it rains.

Council held a public hearing on the budget, but no one signed up to speak.

The local Duracell plant is planning a $60 million expansion, according to county officials.

The plant, which makes every Duracell AA battery in the United States, is planning about 20 to 25 new hires with the expansion, Lancaster County Economic Development Corp. President Keith Tunnell told County Council on Monday night.

It's not a lot of extra employees, but Tunnell said it's a good sign about the future of the plant, which now has about 500 employees here.

"I hope this means they'll be staying here for a long time," Tunnell said.